Engine starter control



0'" i2 8 L o i 15 22 21 8 V V INVENTOR BY mumifrl/Pfiergm M. P. FERGUSON ENGINE STARTER CONTROL Filed Dec. 23, 1931 l l I A TTQRNE Y Patented Oct. 1 1935 ENGINE STARTER CONTROL Malcolm 1 Fergusom Elmira, N. Y., assignor to Eclipse Machine Company, Elmira N. Y., a 00!? poration of New York Application December 23, 1931, Serial no. 582,861

' T3 Claims. (01. 123-179) This invention relates to an engine starter control and more particularly to a device for engaging and operating a starting mechanism by a manual control member for the engine such as '5 the accelerator pedal.

Starter gearing of the -manual shift type is usually controlled by a'separate pedal the depression of which first causes a starting pinion to be moved into engagement with a member of the engineto be started such as a flywheel gear, and thereafter causes the starting switch to be closed. According tothe present invention, this special pedal is dispensed with andthe function thereof is performed by one of the manual control members for the engine such as the accelerator pedal, under the control of an automatic disconnecting means responsive to selfoperation of the engine; 1

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel device for operating a starter of the manual shift type'from anengine control member.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a device which is arranged to automatically disconnect the control member from the starting mechanism when the engine is running.

A further object is to provide such a device which embodies provisions for preventing such disconnection during the cranking operation.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in this art from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:-

Fig. l is a somewhat diagrammatic showing of one preferred embodiment of the invention, the parts being shown in elevation and partly in section; and

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts in cranking position.

Referring to Fig. 1, engine starter mechanism of the manual shift type is illustrated comprising a motor i with a starting switch 2'mounted thereon and with an extended armature shaft 3 on which is mounted a starting pinion 4 in position to he slid into and out of engagement with a member such as flywheel gear 5 of an engine to be started. Pinion 4 is driven from the armature shaft 3 through an overrunning clutch 6 which engages a splined portion 1, (Fig. 2) of the armature shaft. Means are provided for shifting the pinion 4 into and out of mesh with the flywheel gear 5 in the form of a shifting fork lever 8 pivoted at 9 in a housing II, and having a link I2 pivoted to the free end thereof.

A manual control member for the engine such as an accelerator pedal is illustrated at I3 and is provided with link I4 connected to a lever 15 having a fixed pivot H5 at one end and provided at its free end with a linkll arranged tooperate a controlling device for the engine fuel such as 5 a carburetor throttle, not illustrated. A return spring I 8 is'preferably provided for normally retaining the accelerator pedal l3 in the position shown'inFig. 1: Accordingto the present invention, connecting means are provided for shift- 10 g the pinion 4 into engagement with the fly wheel gear 5' and for closing the starting switch 2 upon depression of the accelerator pedal i3. As= here shown, this connection is in the form of a sleeve member I! rigidly fixed to the free end 15 of the link l2 as indicated at 2|, and a push link 22 pivoted at 23 tothe lever l5 and having its free end slidably received within the sleeve member l9. The push link 22 is normally connected to the sleeve l9 by means of a sliding latch 20 member 24 formed as a piston loosely mounted in a cylinder 25 extending at right angles from the sleeve member l9 and normally arranged with its lower end in the path of ashoulder 26 formed on the push link 22.

'Means arev provided for disabling the connecting means by withdrawing'the latch 24 from :the path of the shoulder 26 in response'to self operation of the engine, such means as here illustrated comprising a device for causing a pres- 30 sure differential to act on the latch 24 to move it into inoperative position when the engine starts. As illustrated in, Fig. 1, this means comprises an engine driven air pump A connected by means of flexible conduits 21 and 28 to the cylinder 25. In the arrangement shown, connection is made to theinlet of the air pump whereby the vacuum produced by said pump raises the latch 24. As illustrated in Fig. 2, the source of vacuum maybe the intake system of the engine, a portion of which such as the intake manifold is illus trated at 29. Obviously, the connection may be made to the pressure side of the air pump if so desired by merely forming the latch 24 to be pressed away from the pump instead of toward 5 the pump todisconnect it from the link 22.

Means are provided for preventing the withdrawal of the latch 24 during the cranking operation, such means being .here illustrated as a valve 3| pivotally mounted at 32 and arranged 50 to connect the flexible conduits 21 and 28. Valve 3| is provided with a slidable cut-off plunger 33 which is pivoted at 34 to the cylinder 25 whereby longitudinal motion of the sleeve I {causes the plunger 33 to seat in and close the valve 3|.

A yielding connection indicated generally at 35 is preferably provided for the plunger 33 in order to allow continued motion of the sleeve member i9 after the closure of valve 3!.

In the operation of the device, starting with the parts illustrated in Fig. 1, depression of the accelerator pedal iii causes the push link 22 to engage the latch 2t and move sleeve member l9 whereby the shiii-ing fork 8 is swung in a direction to shift the starting pinion 4 into engagement with the flywheel gear 5. After such engagement of thegearing has been effected, further motion of the shifting lever 8 causes closure of the starting switch 2 whereupon the starting motor I is energized and cranking takes place. The initial movement of the sleeve member [9 causes the plunger 33 to move to closed position as 11- lustrated in Fig. 2 whereby any vacuum created by the vacuum pump or in the intake manifold 29 as the case may be, is prevented from acting on the latch member 24.

When the engine starts, release of the accelerator pedal l3 by the operator allows the parts of the starting mechanism to return to normal position, but consequent opening of the valve 3! allows the vacuum caused by the self-operation of the engine to withdraw the latch 24 and hold the same out of the path of shoulder 28 on the push link 22 so long as the engine is in operation. The accelerator pedal I3 is thus free to control the admission of fuel to the engine in the usual manner without operating the starting mechanism since the push linlr 22 is then freely slidable within the sleeve member 19.

Should the engine stall for any reason, the dissipation of the vacuum caused by the operation of the engine causes the latch 24 to fall into the path .of the shoulder 25 whereupon depression of the accelerator pedal will cause the reengage merit of the starter gearing and energization of the starting motor as above described.

Although but one form of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that other forms are possible and various changes may be made in the proportions and arrangements of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is: 1. In combination with an internal combustion engine, an electrical starting system therefor including a starting motor, a starting switch and disconnectible gearing for driving the engine gear into engagement and closes the starting switch, means responsive to rotation of the engine for creating a fluid pressure differential, means responsive to said pressure difierential for moving said latch to inoperative position and means for preventing the action of said pressure on said latch duringthe starting operation.

2. In combination with an internal combustion engine, an electrical starting system therefor including a starting motor, a starting switch and disconnectible gearing for driving the engine from the starting motor, a manual member for controlling the fuel supply of the engine, connecting means including a movable latch whereby operationof the manual member moves the gear into engagement and closes the starting switch, means responsive'to rotation of the'engine for creating a fluid pressure differential, means responsive to said pressure differential for moving said latch to inoperative position. a valve for preventing the action of said pressure on said latch, and means for actuating said valve incidental to the actuation of the starting system.

3. In combination with an internal combustion engine, starter gearing therefor including a. motor driven pinion, means for mounting said pinion so as to be manuallyshiftable integ and out of engagement with a member of the engine to be started, a manual control memberfor said engine, connecting means normally operative for 40 shifting said pinion by said manual member, means responsive to self-operation of the engine for disabling said connecting means and means responsive to actuation of the connecting means for preventing the operation of said disabling means when the pinion is in engagement with the engine member. t

. MALCOLM P. FERGUSON. 

